Status and Trends

In developing countries 16 per cent of infants, or about 1 in 6, weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth. South Asia has the highest incidence of low birthweight by far, with 27 per cent of all infants weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth. A total of 19 million newborns each year in the developing world weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth, and more than half of them are born in South Asia. India has the highest number of low birthweight babies each year: 7.4 million.  

19 million newborns weigh less than 2,500 grams in the developing world, more than half in South Asia -- India alone has more than 7 million
Number of infants weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth (millions)

                                                   
                                                        Source: MICS, DHS and other national surveys, 2003-2008

More than one quarter of newborns in South Asia weigh less than 2,500 grams at birth
South Asia is also the region with the highest proportion not weighed at birth
Percentage of infants weighing less than 2,500 grams at birth and percentage of infants not weighed at birth

*: Excluding China

Trend analysis is difficult

There is a lack of comparable estimates over time, both within and between countries. Limited trend data, however, are available from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) covering 50 developing countries, or about 60 per cent of the developing world's population excluding China.

A population-weighted average for available survey points shows that the incidence of low birthweight remained roughly constant from the 1990s to 2008. The lack of change appears to apply in both sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Available trend data are insufficient for other regions.

References

Part of this section is adapted from Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition – a survival and development priority, UNICEF, November 2009.